World-acclaimed architect Douglas Cardinal talks to members of the Tumblers Gymnastic club after the announcement of a new world class sports facility is to be built in Orleans, June 15, 2017.Jean Levac / Postmedia

A $20-million sports centre to help train some of Canada’s most promising athletes will be built in Orléans by 2019.

The 65,000-square-foot, multi-staged development — headed by architect Douglas Cardinal, Ottawa developer and former Ottawa Senators owner Bruce Firestone, and Black Sheep Developments — will be built on an empty lot on Mer Bleue Road. It will feature a large building, with Tumblers Gymnastics as the anchor tenant, and host international gymnastics competitions.

The facility will also eventually house coaches that will train some of Canada’s top gymnasts, and accommodate other sports including basketball, floor hockey and military-style obstacle courses.

“The economic impact for our community will be substantial,” Brian Dagenais, Black Sheep’s president, said in an announcement Thursday. “The building will be a celebration of achievement and a hub for families and businesses, and for us it’s just the first phase.”

Dagenais said Cardinal will build the environmentally sustainable sports complex to reflect users’ needs. After Thursday’s official announcement, Cardinal sat down with some of the young gymnasts from Tumblers to hear what they envision for the new facility.

“(Cardinal’s) goal today is to begin the process of talking with the kids and asking them, ‘What do you want in a facility?’ and through their vision, and the visions of parents, Tumblers, and board of directors, only by talking to them can he really properly express (their) desires.”

The facility will include a “wrap” of retail space with complementary businesses such as a physiotherapist, dance studio, massage therapist and chiropractor.

The project, near the corner of Innes Road, is expected to take two years to complete. It has yet to acquire the necessary building permits.

Cumberland Coun. Stephen Blais said the new facility will provide a much-needed space to train young athletes, while also creating an economic boon for local businesses.

“Orléans produces more than its fair share of Ottawa’s top-tier athletes, and a new world-class facility will help ensure that we continue to promote national level athletes while contributing to positive economic and social outcomes in our community.”

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